Geysir Finally In Public Hands Again

The Icelandic government has finally struck a deal with the private landowners of the Geysir area, thus drawing to a close negotiations that have been going on for decades.

RÚV reports that the area covers just under 20 hectares. No actual figure has yet been disclosed in terms of how much the state will pay for the land.

The purchase is considered to be the last hurdle to breach before developing the area to accept more tourists can go underway. Up until now, disputes over who is in charge of the territory has led to conflicts between private landowners and the state.

For example, landowners attempted to charge admission to the area about two years ago, but this was met with harsh criticism from many, including some members of parliament. However, the landowners contended that the charge of admission was necessary, in order to fund the maintenance and upkeep of the area.

Now that the Geysir area is in complete public ownership, public funds will go towards its renovation. No word yet on whether the state will start charging admission to the area.